text_original: Chieh then gave orders to light the lamps and see after his visitor's servant; whereupon Ma observed, "Of old it was customary to set intellectual refreshments before one's friends; let us not miss the opportunity of this lovely evening, but decide on four themes, one for each of us; and then, when we have finished our essays, we can set to work on the wine."[186] To this the others readily agreed; and each wrote down a theme and threw it on the table.
text_transcription: SHE THEN GAVE ORDERS TO LIGHT THE LAMPS AND SEE AFTER HIS VISITOR'S SERVANT WHEREUPON MY OBSERVED OF OLD IT WAS CUSTOMARY TO SET INTELLECTUAL REFRESHMENTS BEFORE ONE'S FRIENDS LET US NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY OF THIS LOVELY EVENING BUT DECIDE ON FOUR THEMES ONE FOR EACH OF US AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE FINISHED OUR ESSAYS WE CAN SET TO WORK ON THE WINE TO THIS THE OTHERS READILY AGREED AND EACH WROTE DOWN A THEME AND THREW IT ON THE TABLE
phonemes: tʃˈiː ðˈɛn ɡˈeɪv ˈɔːɹdɚz tə lˈaɪt ðə lˈæmps ænd sˈiː ˈæftɚ hɪz vˈɪzɪɾɚz sˈɜːvənt; wˈɛɹəpˌɑːn mˈɑː əbzˈɜːvd, "ʌv ˈoʊld ɪt wʌz kˈʌstəmˌɛɹi tə sˈɛt ˌɪntəlˈɛktʃuːəl ɹᵻfɹˈɛʃmənts bᵻfˌɔːɹ wˈʌnz fɹˈɛndz; lˈɛt ˌʌs nˌɑːt mˈɪs ðɪ ɑːpɚtˈuːnᵻɾi ʌv ðɪs lˈʌvli ˈiːvnɪŋ, bˌʌt dᵻsˈaɪd ˌɔn fˈɔːɹ θˈiːmz, wˈʌn fɔːɹ ˈiːtʃ əv ˌʌs; ænd ðˈɛn, wˌɛn wiː hæv fˈɪnɪʃt ˌaʊɚɹ ˈɛseɪz, wiː kæn sˈɛt tə wˈɜːk ɔnðə wˈaɪn."[wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi sˈɪks] tə ðɪs ðɪ ˈʌðɚz ɹˈɛdili ɐɡɹˈiːd; ænd ˈiːtʃ ɹˈoʊt dˌaʊn ɐ θˈiːm ænd θɹˈuː ɪɾ ɔnðə tˈeɪbəl.